PAS Weakening Opposition Coalition for Self-Interest, Claims Malaysian Party

The Malaysian People's Rights Party (Urimai) has accused the PAS party of deliberately weakening the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition to serve its own interests. Urimai President, Prof. Dr. P. Ramasamy, stated that PAS's approach of allowing the internal crisis involving Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to drag on without a solution is undemocratic and undermines PN's strength as a nascent opposition bloc.

Ramasamy pointed out that a recent PN Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur should have focused on Bersatu's future, given the growing rift between Bersatu and PAS. However, the meeting concluded without any decision regarding Bersatu's position within the coalition. Instead, discussions reportedly centered on the admission of two new parties: Pejuang and Parti Cinta Malaysia, now rebranded as Parti Wawasan Nasional.

Urimai suggests that PAS may be avoiding open confrontation with Bersatu, despite having previously severed ties with and ousted some Bersatu leaders. This cautious approach might stem from PAS's awareness that Bersatu was prepared for potential attempts to remove it from PN. Furthermore, the inclusion of Pejuang and Parti Wawasan Nasional could complicate Bersatu's standing within PN, as these new parties are perceived to be more aligned with PAS.

According to Ramasamy, PAS might succeed in strengthening its control over PN, but at the cost of weakening the entire opposition coalition. He believes that Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) might be observing the increasing disarray within the opposition with satisfaction ahead of the elections. Ramasamy contended that PAS deserves 'credit' for weakening the opposition's strength to fulfill the interests and ego of its leaders.

In addition, Ramasamy believes that Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has alternative options to navigate the PN crisis. He noted that Muhyiddin's launch of Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR), which includes Urimai, indicates Muhyiddin is planning a larger political platform. Ramasamy concluded that the more PAS pushes Bersatu to the sidelines, the faster and larger the potential backlash could be.